Mechanism fob tiw sheets



A. S. BUSK.

SHEET REGISTEHING IVIECHANISIVI FOR TIN SHEETS.

APPLICATION FILED MAR. 7| 19|?. 1,321,807. Patented Nov. 18, 1919.

4 SHEETS-SHEET I.

A. S. BUSK.

SHEET REGISTEHING MECHANISIVI FOR TIN SHEETS.

` APPLICATION FILED MAH. 7, 19|?. Lmmf, Patented Nov. 18, 1919.

4 SHEETS-swam.

A. s. BUSK. y SHEET REGISTERING IVIECHANISIVI FOR TIN SHEETS.

, APPLICATION FILED MAR. I9I I I sf LK, Patented Nov. 18, 1919.

4 SHEETS-SHEET 3A INVENTOR @w @6M/fg A. s. BUSK. SHEET REGISTERING MECHANISM FOR TIN SHEETS.

APPLICATION FILED MAR. 191?.

PntentodNov. 18,1919.

ATTY'g 4 SHEETS-SHEET 4.

lll

STATES PA :1

ANTHONY S. BUSK, UF WOODHVEN, NEW YORK, ASSIGNUR TIO R. HOE AND C0., DF NEW YORK, N. Y., A CORPORATJEON 0F NEW YORK.

I SHEET-REGFSTERING MECHNISM FOR '.llll" SHEETS..

Specification of Letters Patent.

l ratentea mais, raie.

hpplleation led March 7, 11917. Serial No. 153,150.

4citizen of the United States, residing at ll'oodhaven, county of Queens, and State of New York, have invented certaln new and useful lmprovements in Sheet-Register,- y

ing Mechanism for 'Fin Sheets, fully described and represented in the following specmcation and the accompanying drawings, forming a part of the same.

rlhis invention relates to certain improvements in feeding mechanism for heavy sheets, and particularly tin sheets and the like, which are to be printed'upon.

Difficulty has been experienced in securing accurate registry of sheets of tin, because of the irregularity in the dimensions of the sheets as commercially produced. 'lhis dilliculty in registration is-particularly disadvuntageous in the case where the sheets arel printed with multiple impressions, as in printing thereon multi-color designs.`

'lhe invention has for its especial object the provision of-asimple mechanism for both front registering and side registering of these heavy sheets. so that the sheets are accurately positioned and their positions maintained untiLsecurely taken by the sheettaking devices cf the printing machine.. y

llt is a further object of the invention to provide a front and side registryl device which operates Without rubbing the surfaces o f the tin sheets during the registry operatlon.

A full understanding of the invention can best be had by a detailed description of the same, Which will now be given in connection with the accompanying drawings, in Which- Figure l is a side elevation, partly in section, of the improved feeding andv registering mechanism, 'shown as feeding to a rctary printing couple, the impression'cylinder of which is provided with sheet taking grippers; p

Fig. 2 is a plan view of part of the mechanism shown 1n Fig. l, the plan being taken on line 2 2 of Fig. 1, the frame of the machine being shown in section; Fig. 3 is a planviewof a portion of a train of the feeding rolls feeding the sheet upto the registry devices;

Fig. Alis an enlarged detail view, partly vided i with sheet-taking devices.

in section, of the side registry devices, the View being taken on line 4:-4 of Fig. 2;

Fig. 5 is a detail view of the front registry rolls, partly in section and partly broken away, the view being taken on line 5-5 of Fig. 1,and

Fig. 6 is an end view of part of the construction'shown in Fig. 5, the view being taken looking in the direction of the arrow and Fig. 7 is a diagrammatic view of the'front stops and grippers carried by the impression cylinder.

Referring now to the drawings, the invention has been shown as feeding to a printing machine, the members of the printing couples of which are cylinders, although it Will be understood that the invention is intended to, and may, be used With yother forms of printing mechanism. ln the drawings, the form cylinder is indicated by the numeral 1 and the impression cylinder by the numeral 2, this cylinder bein procting with the impression cylinder are the usual front stops 3. Where, as in the present instance, the sheet-taking devices are grippers, these front stops are mounted on the shafts l of the grippers 5, these being operated in any usual or desired manner.

achines embodying the invention Will `include front and vside registering mech- Aing means may be of various character, in

the machineillustrated they are in the form of a table of rolls 6, suitably journaled in side frames 7, which are 'driven at the same surface speed as the impression cylinder through any suitable means, as from large gear' 8 mounted on shaft 9 extending across the machine, this shaft 9 being driven at cylinder speed through suitable gearing (not shown). The gear 8 meshes with and drives a gear l() mounted on a short shaft' 10 in suitable bearings in a bracket supported from the main frame A of the machine, this shaft lcarrying a gear l2 at its inner end which meshes with intermediate gear '13 which in turn mesh `With gears lll on one of the. rolls 6, the train oflrolls being driven through the gears 14 and train 'of intermediate gears 15 extending the length of the roll table. Side guides may be provided along the train of rolls, if desired, which may be in the form of rolls 16 carried on studs 17 rising from a bar 7 secured to the-v Suitable source'of supply by means of feed-v ing-in rolls (not shown), and the rolls 6 act to feed or forward the tin to the registering mechanism.

` Machines embodying the invention 1n its preferred form are designed to prodnee accurate registryof tin or other material, the shape of which is somewhat irregular due to inaccurate cutting, some sheets, for instance, varying in width by a half of an inch or more from the head to the tail of the sheet, and these irregularities are taken care of by the improved registering mechanism. Unless this irregularity in the sheet is taken care of, as the sheet is being forwarded to the taking devices of the printing mechanism, the sheet would be liable to be thrown out of register. `Machines embodying the invention; therefore, will include register deviceswhich will take care of this irregularity in the sheet, so that the sheet will have perfect .register until positively taken by the sheet taking devices. While the particular construction for effecting this may be somewhat varied, there is provided a. set of what may be termed forwarding and registering rolls, this set including a lower metal roller 20 and a pair of upper forwardingrolls 21, 22. These rolls are driven at the speed of the impression cylinder, being driven in the particular construction illustrated by the large gear 8, before referred to, meshing with a gear 23 on the shaft 24 of the bottom roll 20. Where, as is usually the case, the sheet-taking devices of the printing cou-ple are grippers, it may happen that the closing action of the grippers on the sheet will have a tendency.' to retard the sheet from forward movement. In machines, therefore, Where the registering and forwarding devices are rolls, the upper rolls will be driven so that they will stop when the forward movement of the sheet stops, so as to avoid rubbing of the sheet.' While this may be effected in various ways, the upper leathercovered rolls 21, 22 are driven from a shaft 25 through a torsion spring 26 taken between a colla-r 27 and a gear 28, this gear 2S being in mesh with and driven from the gear 23, before referred to. With this construction, the-rolls y21 22 are driven at cylinder speed, but through the spring connection, they will be allowed to stop when the tin stops. v

In machines embodying the invention employing these superposed rolls, the rolls are,

,for purposes hereinafter referred to, sup-v ported so thatthey can partake of a sidewise or transverse movement relatively to the sheet path. In the best constructions, furthermore, lwhere the rolls are employed in superposed sets, the upper rolls are supported so that they may press upon the sheet with varying pressures, to compensate fory different thicknesses in the tin sheets. While this may be done in various ways, thispressure is preferably a spring pressure, meansvbeing provided for adjustingl the spring. In the particular construction illustrated, the shaft 25, before referred to, is supported from depending brackets 29 hung from studs 30 in suitable cross-pieces 31 extending acrossthe machine and supported in the main frame thereof. A suitable number of these brackets are provided along the shaft, and the shaft is connected to the brackets so that it may have a movement relatively thereto to permit a movement transverse to the sheet path. As illustrated, the shaft 25 has fast thereon hubs 32 pivotally connected by pins 33 to blocks 34 secured to rods 35 held in ears or eX- tensions 36 formed on the brackets, this construction permit-ting the movement referred to. As before stated, in the best constructions the rollsare held by pressure against the tin sheets, this 'pressure being variable within the necessary limits. As shown, the springs 37 are provided on the rods 35, before referred to, these springs being located between the upper ears or extensions 36 of the bracket and collars orv stops 38 secured to the rolls 35. Adjustment may be given these springs by suitable adjusting nuts 3S).

With the construction so far described, the sheets forwarded from the table rolls are taken by the registering rolls and forwarded up against the front stops of the sheet-taking devices of the impression cylinder. While the sheets are thus being forwarded by the registering rolls, they are registered sidewise, `that is, given a side register, and are preferably held side regis tered until after the sheets have been taken by the grippers or other sheet-taking devices of the sheet-taking cylinder. Owing to the irregularity in the widths of the sheets of tin, the sheets are liable to be thrown out of register as they are taken b v the sheettaking devices. In machines embodyingl the invention in' its best form, therefore, means are provided whereby this irregularity can be compensated for. While the specific construction for effecting this may be somewhat varied, in the constriiction shown the forwarding and registry rolls are so mounted that they may have a. yielding sidewise movement, or movement transverse to the sheet path, being moved by the movement of the sheet. In the particular eqnstruction illustrated,'this is effected by con- Learner necting the .shafts 2d, 25, before referred to, with short shafts 416, 41, respectively,

machine. 'lhese shafts 21, 25 are, furthermore, so connected as to have this transverse movement together. ln the particu-"- lar constructionillustrated, this is effected by an anchorvplate Z13 secured by suitable bolts 1t on the ends of the shafts; 1n the best constructions, this transverse movement of the shafts is a yielding movement which is conveniently edected by a spring ,45 carried on a rod d6 provided witha collar t7 taking into a yoked arm d8, pivoted on a j.

bracket '19 suitably secured to the machine frame.

Vlllith this construction it results that when the sheet is moved to side register, the

rolls are, through the medium of the sheet, i fed transversely of the sheet path with the sheet, and this movement being a yielding one against the spring, the rolls tend to hold the sheet against the side registry devices.

llrregularities of the sheet as to width, therefore, the sheet having once been side registered, do not tend to forcethe sheet out of such registry.

'llhe particular form vof side registry devices for the sheets may be varied, but in the preferred construction there will besuch devices on each side of the sheet path which may be independently operated so that either side of the machlne may be employed. While these side guides or registry devices may va somewhat in construction, they will be diiplicated on each side of the machine, and those on but one side will be described. As illustrated (see Figs. 2 and d),

they includedat plates forming a support for the sheet beyond or outside the ends of the rolls, and small side registry rolls 51 horizontally disposedand secured by bolts 52 to guide bloclrs 53, these blocks 53 having wingsll acting as guides. 'lhe plates 56 and blocks 53 are carried in blocks 55vvhich' are or may be feathered on the ends of the roll shaft 241, before referred to,

'so as to have a sliding movement thereon.

'Fliese rolls 51 are moved to side register the sheet, the bloclrs supporting them being operated in any Ysuitable manner to bring the sheets into their proper registered position.

rlhe particular connections for thus operatl ing the bloclrs may be somewhat varied, but

in the particular construction shown each block will be-operated from side guide cams 56 lreyed or otherwise mounted to slide on the shaft 9 before referred to, the cams being held in position by cam yokes 57. 'llhese cams operate a cam lever 58 pivoted yat 59 in an extension 60 projecting from the cam yohes 57. 'lhis cam lever 58 carries a cam roll 61 operating in a. cam groove 62 of the cam. f lonnected with this cam roll lever 58 and operated thereby is a side guide lever 63, this lever being provided with a slot 64 at itsend (see Fig. 2) in which works a stud 65 secured to the block 55, before referred to.

en the machine is operating .to side register a sheet these two levers 58, 63 work as one'""to-cause the operation of the side guides as described.V4 As it is desirable to operate only yone side of the machine at a time, however', the connections between the levers are such that the sideguide levers 63 on either side of the machine may be silenced to stop its operating movement, the movement of the lever 58, because of the cam, necessarily continuing. While. these 63 and in an opening 68 formed in an enlargement 69 on the end of lever 58. Wit-h this construction, by loosening the stud and moving it from the position shown in Fig. 2, to the end of the slot 67, the stud can Work in the large opening 68 in the end of lever 58, thereby causing theoperative movement of lever 63 to cease. 'lFhe cam 56 before referred to may be backed by the usual spring rod construction 81, part of the rod construction being shown in Fig.' 2.

Machines embodying the invention in its best form will include means whereby the throw of the cam, and, consequently, the movement of the side registry devices, may be varied to rovide for the side registry of sheets of di erent widths, and preferably this adjustment of the cam will besuch that it can be done while the machine is in opera tion. Furthermore, the adjusting mechanism will be such that the side guide cams on each side of the machine 'may be adjusted from a single adjusting mechanism located on one slide of the machine. `1While mechanisms of4 diderent character may be employed foreffecting these purposes, in the particular construction illustrated there are provided two adjustable shafts 70, 71. 'lhese shafts are threaded and pass through the extensions 60 of the cam yokes 57, before referred to, which are threaded to receive them. rllhe shaft 70 is supported at one end by'a bearing 72 in the main frame of the machine and at its other end is supported in a bearing in the center of the machine, indicated at 73 in Fig. 1.` This shaft 7 0 adjusts the cam at the left hand side of the machine, looking at Fig. 2. The right hand cam at the right hand end of the machine, is adjusted from 'the shaft 71, which a stud 66 working in the slot 67 in the lever ira l rat ' the sheets thereto for front registry, side l registry devices movable sidewise of thesleeved to permit the shaft 71 to pass therethrough. The mechanism for adjust-ing the shaft may include a hand wheel 75 on a short shaft 76 mounted 4in a frame 7 7 supported from bearings 72, before referred to. This shaft is provided with a sliding gear 78 meshin with a gear 79 on the shaft 70. The shaft l may be independently operated from the gear 80 mounted on the end of the sha-ft which projects beyond the shaft 70. This gear 80 is operated by sliding gear 78 pulling gear 78 out of mesh from gear 79 and into mesh with gear 80.-

`In the operation of the machine, the sheet is forwarded by the table rolls 6 up to the registering and forwarding rolls 20, 21 and 22. As the sheet is in the control of these rolls, the side guide mechanism is operated, it being moved sidewise in toward the sheet until the edge of the sheet is touched by the small roller 51 of the side guide devices. The side guide is then moved a little farther sidewise through the proper timing of the cam, but the sheet, instead of sliding between the rollers, .acts to carry the rollers sidewise with the tin; as both the rollers 'are secured together and move simultaneously through the anchor plate 43, backed by the spring 46, the sheet has a yielding pressure against the side guide which keeps the sheetl in perfect side register, and as the side guide is held against the sheet by the timing of the cams until the grippers are closed and the sheet positively taken, the side register of the sheet is insured, even if it is somewhat irregular.

While the invention has been shown and described in its preferred form, it Vwill be understood that wide changes and variations may be made in the specific construction for carrying the invention into ei'ect, and it will be further understood that while the invention has been particularly designed for the feeding of tin sheets, more or less irregular in dimensions, it` maybe used for feeding other irregular sheets of heavy material.

` What is claimed is 1. In a mechanism for feeding and registering heavy sheets, the combination of front registering devices, meansacting on the surface of the sheet for forwarding the sheets 'thereto for front registering, side registering devices movable sidewise of the. sheet path for side registering the sheet as it moves forward, and mea-ns for holding the sheet against the side registry devices under a yielding pressure during its forward movement.

2. In a mechanism for feeding'and registeringheavy sheets, the combination of front registering devices, devices for forwarding sheet path `for side registering the sheet, and means whereby the sidewise( movement of the sheet causes a sidewise movement of the forwarding devices..

3. In a mechanism for feeding and registering heavy sheets, the combination of front registering devices, devices for forwarding the sheets thereto for front registry, side registry devices movable sidewise of the vsheet path for side registering the sheet,

means whereby the sidewise .movement of the sheet causes a-sidewise movement of the forwarding devices, and resistance means against which the forwarding devices move si-dewise.

4. In a mechanism for feeding and registering heavy sheets, the combination with an impression cylinder having front registering devices, of sheet taking devices on the cylinder,.means acting on the surface of the sheet for forwarding sheets to the front registry devices, side registry devices movable sidewise of the sheet path for side registry of the sheet, and means whereby the sheet is held against the side registry devices under a yielding pressure durin its forward movement and until it has een taken by the sheet taking devices on the Vcylinder.

5. In a mechanism for feeding and registering heavy sheets, the combination of an impression cylinder having sheet taking vgrippers, front registeringdevices, devices actinO' on the surface of the sheet for forwardmg sheets thereto for front registry, means for driving the forwarding devices at cylinder'speed, side registering devices' for registering the sheets sidewise as they move forward, and means whereby the forwarding action of the forwarding devices may be caused to cease when. the sheet is taken by the grippers.

6. In a mechanism for feeding and reglstering heavy sheets, the combination of front stops, superposed forwarding rolls for forwarding the sheets thereto, means for driving one ofthe rolls at cylinder speed, means for driving the coperatirg ,roll at cyhnder speed, means wherebyl the drive of one of the rolls may be interrupted when a sheet stops, and side registry devices for side registering the sheet. A

7. In a mechanism for feeding and registering heavy shrets, the combination of front stops, a lower forwarding roll driven at cylinder speed, a pair of upper forwardingV rolls, a shaft therefor, a gear fordrivlng theshaft from the lower roll at cylinder speed, a spring interposed between the gear and shaft through which the shaft is driven for causing the upper rolls to stop when asheet is stopped, and side registering devices for side registering .they sheets.

8. In a mechanism for feeding and registering heavysheets, .the combination of front registering devices, upper and lower forwarding rolls for forwarding sheets thereto,

side registering devices movable sidevvise of the sheet path for side registering a sheet, means connecting the rolls for causing them to be moved sidevvise simultaneously by the sheet, and resistance means acting to resist sidevvise movement of the rolls.

9.- ln a mechanism for feeding and registering heavy sheets, the combination ot' front registering devices, superposed for'- warding rolls for forwarding the sheets thereto, shafts for the rolls slidable sidewise of the sheet path, connections for causing the shafts to move sidewise in unison,

means yieldingly holding the shafts against sidevvise movement, and side register devices for side registering the sheet.

10. llna mechanism for feeding and registering heavy sheets, the combination of front registry devices, superposed rolls for forvvardingV sheets thereto, shafts for the rolls slidable sidewise, a plate connecting the shafts, a spring for causing the plate to have a yielding sidewise movement, and side register devices for side registering the sheet.

11. ln a mechanism for feeding and registering heavy sheets, the combination of front registering devices, devices for forwarding the sheets thereto for front regis* try, said devices also having a yielding movement sidewise of the sheet path, side registryv devices for side registering the sheet located on each side of the sheet path, and means whereby either one of the side registry devices may be rendered inoperable.

1:2. In a. mechanism for feedin and registering heavy sheets, the combination of front p registering devices, devices for forwarding sheets thereto for front register, side registry devices located o n each side of the sheet path, means whereby either one of the sheet registering devices may be rendered inoperable, and means for adjusting elther of the sheet registry devices from one side of the K sheet path.

13. ln a mechanism for feeding and registering heavy sheets, the combination of front registering devices, devices for forwarding the sheets thereto for front registry and having a yielding sidewise movement trans verse of the sheet path, side register devices including register rolls located on each side of the sheet path and movable sidewise thereof for side registering the sheet, and lneans for operating either one of the side registry devices as the sheet is forwarded.

1l. ln a mechanism for feeding and regis-4 tering heavy sheets, the combination of front registering devices, devices for forwarding sheets thereto for front registry, side registering devices movable sidewise and located on each side of the sheet path, a cani and cam levers, one for each side registry device, and means for adjnstin either of the cams sideivise from one side o the sheet path.

15. In a mechanism for feeding and registering heavy sheets, the combination of front registering devices. devices for forwarding sheets thereto for front registry, side registering devices movable"l sidewise and located on each side of the sheet path, a cam and cam levers, one for each side regis try device, a shaft operatively connected to one of the cams, a. second shaft operatively connected to the other of saidcams. and

means for adjusting either of the shafts sidewise from the same side of the sheet path.

ln testimony Whereohl have hereunto setmy hand.

ANTHONY S. BUSK. 

